Chapter Text
"Alright Harry, by the time we get back to the Common Room tonight we will both have dates," Ron said in a way that made it sound as if the pair of them were about to storm an enemy castle. Harry thought it was easy for Ron to say for he did not have to lead the dancing at the Yule Ball just over a week away. And while Harry knew who he wanted to invite, doing so was another matter. Hermione just rolled her eyes at the pair and went back to doing her homework, Harry knew that she did not have to worry about the ball either, more than likely Ron would take his head out of his arse and ask her to go with him, but how did Harry ask Draco.
The pair had been rivals almost since they entered the castle, but in truth, Harry had had a crush on the blonde boy since they had flow against each other in their first Quidditch game. Where the Sun had glinted off his beautiful blonde hair. Harry also noticed that as Draco had flown around the pitch looking for the Snitch, Draco's expression had lost its normal stuck-up look and he had been smiling beautifully. It had been the sight of that wonderful smile and the Sun behind him rather than just seeing the Snitch that had led Harry just staying in place long enough for Dobby's Bludger to hit him.
After that, Harry paid as much attention to Draco as the blonde seemed to do to him. He began to notice other things he liked about his rival from his skill in Potions, which Harry always had trouble with despite all the time he had to cook for his family. Even Draco's strutting started to get to Harry, the blonde would walk with his head held high taking pride in everything he did and knew he would accomplish. The total opposite of Harry, who after living for so long with his family made a point to inform him he was utterly worthless, tended to walk with a slouch and his eyes lowered to the floor. Harry also had a habit of apologizing to people he walked into even if it was not his fault. Draco, on the other hand, was arrogant but he had a right to be and seemed so sure of himself that Harry just could not help but admire him for it.
It was shortly before supper that night when Harry finally got his chance as he came across Draco coming back from the bathroom, and for once without any member of his gang with him. Harry could not help himself as without even thinking he shouted at the blonde, "WILLYOUGOTOTHEBALLWITHME?!?"
"What was that Potty?" Draco asked arching one of his eyebrows at him making the butterflies in Harry's stomach seem to shift into a tornado.
"I asked if you would go to the ball with me," Harry said blushing so hard his face turned as red as Ron's hair.
"And why would I want to do that?" Draco asked with a sneer.
"Well, I um..... I don't know," Harry said not sure what to say, he looked down at his hands, and fidgeted in place ready for the laughter and teasing from his rival. If he had been looking up Harry would have noticed that Draco was giving him a searching look as if he was trying to see if Harry was trying to prank him.
"If you don't know, why did you ask then?" Draco said not seeing any sign that this was a joke or prank.
"Because I wanted to go to the ball with you," Harry said looking up and almost making Draco take a step back as he saw Harry glance up at him with those Avada Green eyes past his dark black bangs.
"Fine, I will go with you," Draco said hiding a smile at both the look on Harry's face, but also it would mean he could tell Pansy he had a date which would mean she would hopefully back off. Harry felt like he was on a broomstick with Draco agreeing to go with him to the ball he wanted to give a cheer. "An hour and a half before the ball, come down to the empty classroom across from the Potions Lab," Draco ordered.
"But why?" Harry asked.
"Well if we are going to the Yule Ball together, I want to make sure you have the proper look and your hair is not its normal rats' nest," Draco said.
"I guess that makes sense," Harry said looking back down at his twiddling finger again.
"Of course, it does that is why I brought it up. So until then, Potter," Draco said not calling Potty or any other nickname for once as he turned and continued on his way.
"Farewell Draco, and thanks," Harry said in a soft voice that Draco still managed to hear making the blonde smile to himself all the while wondering what Potter's plan was or if it was not a prank at all.
Harry was so happy that Draco had agreed to go with him, he almost skipped up to Gryffindor Tower utterly forgetting about supper. His good mood lasted until he entered the Common Room and saw Ron looking in the dumps. "What's up, Ron?" Harry asked as Hermione and Ginny moved away from where they had been sitting comforting him.
When all he got was some mumbled words he turned to Hermione and Ginny arching an eyebrow. "He decided to ask Fleur to go with him to the Ball," Hermione said patting Ron's back.
"More like screamed it actually, right in front of everyone in the Great Hall," Ginny said doing her best not to smile having found the sight somewhat funny, if only it had been someone else other than her brother.
"I feel like such a prat, she was just walking to supper, and something just sort of came over me," Ron said muttering into his hands.
"It is not your fault Ron, she is part Veela just as you guessed," Harry said placing a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"So how did you do mate?" Ron said looking up from his hands and seeing Harry smiling.
"The person I asked said yes," Harry said with a large smile but was not ready to tell the others whom he had asked knowing that the Weasley clan had some issues with Draco's family.
"Great so I will be the only one without a date, I mean even Neville got one," Ron said feeling worse. "Hey Hermione, you are a girl will you go with me to the ball?"
"Yes I am a girl, well-spotted Ron but no," Hermione said.
"Why not? Come on Mione, it will be rather awkward to show up without a date," Ron said.
"Well considering the time it took you to find out I was a girl, someone else already asked me to go with them," Hermione said as she started to pack away her books.
"Who?" Ron asked and Harry had to admit he was also curious as well.
"I am not telling, you will just make fun of me," Hermione said as she finished backing up her bag. "Well, I am going to go get some supper."
"She is lying," Ron said once she had left the room.
"No she is not," Ginny said.
"Who is she going with Gin?" Ron asked.
"As she said she does not want you to know, it is her date so that I will respect her wishes," Ginny said.
"Fine then you can come with me as a friend that way you can attend," Ron said looking at his little sister.
"I can't do that either, Neville asked me to go with him," Ginny said sounding a little glad she had accepted the invitation.
"Great who am I going to go with?" Ron asked putting his face in his hands again. Harry could not bear to see him in such a state and seeing the Portrait Hole open with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil coming back from dinner got an idea.
Seeing Ron was still distracted, Harry went over and talked to the girls to see if either of them would go with Ron. Both girls broke out into giggles making Harry wish such a gesture was illegal for what it could do to someone making him glad Harry could not hear their response. "Why doesn't he ask Hermione?" Lavender asked.
"She is already going with someone," Harry said.
"Oh, who?" both girls asked.
"No clue," Harry answered with a shrug though he noticed a gleam come to Lavender's eyes.
Without another word or even another giggle, Lavender walked over to Ron and asked him to go with her to the ball. "She has a crush on him," Parvati whispered into Harry's ear seeing his shocked expression.
One of the best things about Hermione not sharing who she was going to the Ball with, was that it distracted Ron from trying to find out who Harry was going with. Harry did notice that just like him on the actual day of the Ball, Hermione also had left early to get ready for it. Leaving the snowball fight that Harry and the Weasleys had been having on the grounds. Not wanting to be seen in his dress robes before the event, Harry carried them in a bundle as he made his way to the empty classroom where he was to meet Draco. "Good you're early," Draco said as Harry walked into the room. "I take it those are your dress robes, let's see them." Taking them from the bundle Harry held the dark forest green robes and held them to his body. "That should be easy to work with," Draco said taking out his wand and summoning a dark yellow dress robe. "Alright sit down, Harry let us see if I can tame your hair," Draco ordered.
Harry nodded as he made his way over to the seat before Draco who began to work on Harry's hair washing, styling, and in some places cutting it for almost a full half-hour. "That will have to do," Draco said as he created a mirror so Harry could look at what the blonde had done. Harry was impressed for, gone was the rats' nest that was normal for him, and in its place was a short hair styled to the left side of his head, running a hand through it Harry found it was incredibly soft.
"How did you do that?" Harry asked feeling utterly impressed for even using the Sleekeasy Hair Potions that Hermione had told him about had never made his hair this manageable or soft.
"A magician never reveals his secrets," Draco said surprising Harry as he bopped his nose. Draco then created a barrier in the room letting the pair of them change into their robes before Draco spent the next half hour making sure Harry's robes were straight and looking good. Before they left the room Draco once more summoned something as he added a broach to Harry's robes.
Harry could not help but blush as Draco attached the broach to the collar of his robes. It had been nice that during the whole time, Draco helped him get ready the blonde had not made any slights against Harry but had been rather nice. When it was time to head up to the ball, Draco held out his hand to Harry, but rather than take it Harry wrapped his arm around the blonde's forearm making Draco raise an eyebrow at him but made no comment as he led Harry out of the room. There were some shocked gasps as Draco guided Harry past the group of Slytherins who had just left their Dorms to see the pair together. Taking his place at the front of the line, Draco leads Harry up to the Front Hall with the brunette's hand holding onto the blonde's elbow.
There was more gasp of shock as members of the other Houses saw Harry coming up leaning into Draco's taller form. "Ah Mister Potter, as one of the Champions you and your.... date are to open the ball," Professor McGonagall said, a little shocked at who he had come with, coming over to Harry once she had seen him arrive.
"Alright Professor," Harry said as he and Draco followed her to the other Champions seated next to the door. Harry took in Cedric Diggory with his date Cho Chang giving him and Draco matching shocked expressions on their faces. While Fleur and her date, Roger Davis, did not seem to notice mostly due to Roger seeming to be unable to look away from the part Veela girl. But Harry's eyes could only look on in shock as he found Viktor Krum and his date, Hermione. Harry had to guess that he and his best female friend shared the same shocked expressions at each other's dates.
"You asked, Malfoy?" Hermione hissed/asked as Harry and Draco sat down, with Harry still holding onto the blonde's bicep.
"Your date is Krum?" Harry shot back and almost swore he heard a soft chuckle from Draco.
"Point, but still, Malfoy," she said.
"Well he shows he has some good taste," Draco cut in sans whisper, and while no one else would notice began to flex his arm under Harry's hand. Hermione looked at Draco with distrust as she pulled her wand out of her sleeve and cast a spell to make sure Harry had not been enchanted by Draco.
"I asked him, Mione," Harry said making her eyes widen even further in shock but before she could say anything the Ball began as the doors opened and the students walked past.
Harry noticed that as Ron walked past with Lavender glaring at both him and Hermione, and he was not the only one as the members of Viktor's fan club all glared at Hermione. As others entered the hall, Pansy Parkinson glared at Harry as she walked past on the arm of Vincent Crabbe, who also glared at Harry on Draco's arm. Once everyone had entered the Great Hall, Harry and the other Champions were made to stand up and head in as well. Once more, Harry let Draco take the lead as the blonde led him to one of the top tables which also contained Hermione, Viktor, as well as Ludo Bagman. Harry rather wished another tournament official had been at his table having found Bagman annoying as the man kept trying to get him to cheat or give him hints about the coming tasks. As they reached the table, Draco pulled his arm away and to Harry's shock pulled Harry's chair away from the table before he took his seat. Harry blushed a little shooting a look at Hermione and saw Viktor had done the same to her as she also blushed. Rather than catch her eye, Harry looked down at the table and saw a menu.
Having never seen a menu used at the castle, Harry was not sure what to do with it. Draco had no similar issues as he picked up the menu and spoke in a clear voice, "A boneless rib-eye stake, some spaghetti with meatballs, some garlic toast, some orange juice. and a fruit punch."
"Are you really going to eat all that?" Harry asked as two large full plates of food and two glasses appeared before the blonde.
"Of course not, the spaghetti and fruit punch are for you," Draco said pushing the plate over to him further shocking Harry for his knowledge of one of Harry's favorite meals. Blushing again and not wanting to look at Draco for a moment, Harry shot a glance at Hermione to see how she was taking the new and more defined, thus harder, work for the Hogwarts House Elves. But his friend, for once, did not seem to notice the added work for the Elves as she tried to help Viktor how to pronounce her name.
Harry just smiled as he turned back to Draco, doing his best to avoid Bagman, and started talking about Potions hoping Draco could explain how he was so good at it. Draco spent the meal explaining the cuts as well as paying attention to the directions when it came to stirring. This helped explain why Harry was so bad at Potions for the way he had been taught to cook at the Dursleys was akin to adding a pinch of this and a dash of that and not exact measurements. Without even realizing it as he listened to Draco, Harry had finished off his meal before he knew it leading Draco to order some treacle tart for both of them once more knowing Harry's favorite dessert.
Soon enough the lights in the hall went out as spotlights fell on him, the other Champions, and their dates. Seeing it as a sign that the dancing was about to start, Draco got out of his seat and held his hand down to pull Harry to his feet. This time Harry took the blonde's hand and was easily pulled to his feet before he led Harry onto the dance floor. Once they moved into position, Harry was not sure what to do next. Apart from the single lesson when Professor McGonagall taught them to dance as well as announcing the Yule Ball, Harry had never really danced before.
Once more Draco took the lead, as he had Harry place one of his hands on Draco's shoulder while the blonde took hold of his other hand. Draco's other hand was wrapped around Harry's form and placed in the middle of Harry's back. "Just follow my lead, Harry it will be alright," Draco said in a whisper as the music started. Doing as ordered, Harry let Draco lead the dance as they moved to the music Harry did his best not to look at the crowd and see a lot of shocked faces from them and some glares aimed his way as well. "You're doing great, Harry just focus on me and block them all out," Draco said to Harry's shock the blonde dipped him before he used the hand on Harry's back to pull the smaller brunette closer to him than before.
As the dance went on, Harry found it easier to block everyone out as Draco led their dance making it seem that the pair were the only two in the hall with the music playing just for them, even though others were soon joining the Champions on the dance floor. The only thing this led to between Harry and Draco was that the blonde pulled Harry even more into his taller form as the pair danced. After the first song finally ended Harry blushed as he pulled himself away. "Thanks for dancing with me Draco, I guess you are free to dance with someone else if you want," Harry said looking down at his feet.
"I came with you, Harry," Draco said making Harry look up to see that rare smile on Draco's face as the blonde took him by his hand and led him out of the hall. Harry once more did not protest as Draco led him out into a garden maze that had been set up since the snowball fight earlier.
Draco led Harry through the maze until they reached a small stone bench before he let go of Harry's hand and sat down on the bench. "Come sit with me for a moment, Harry," Draco said patting the bench beside him. Harry sighed before he sat down next to his date. "So why did you invite me, if you thought I would leave you after the first dance?" Draco asked.
"Cause I know I am nothing special, and you most likely agreed to go out for me just to make fun of me for my lack of dancing skills," Harry said looking down at his hands resting in his lap.
"Harry, I came with you," Draco said shocking the smaller male as he laid his hands on both of Harry's hands in his lap making Harry look up at him to see the blonde giving him another smile.
"And I am glad that you did but," Harry said only for Draco to use his free hand to gently place a finger over Harry's lips.
"No buts, Harry, I came with you. You asking me here really made my day for like I said on our first day at Hogwarts. I have always wanted to be your friend," Draco said.
"But why? I am nothing, just a freak," Harry said once Draco moved his finger away.
"Nobody is nothing and you are not a freak, bad at Potions, and I thought you were a little full of yourself but not a freak," Draco said.
"I am not full of myself," Harry protested.
"I know that now, Harry. If you were full of yourself you would never have let me take charge of this date the way I did. Which I only did just to see how you would react thinking you would never even agree to meet me in the classroom earlier," the blonde said.
"It was nice having someone else take the lead. It seems that most people think just for what I did as a baby, I would lead the Magical World into greatness or something," Harry said leaning into Draco's larger form.
"I noticed, especially at dinner," Draco said throwing an arm around Harry.
"And you did it nicely unlike my relatives who treat me like a House Elf," Harry said shifting his body so that his legs were under him and his face was in Draco's chest.
"A House Elf not the Prince-like the stories say," Draco said sounding shocked.
For the next half hour, Harry told Draco about his life with his family with the blonde offering a good-sounding board and almost literally a shoulder to cry on. "You know what you need?" Draco asked after Harry finished telling him about how his bedroom had changed from the cupboard to the smallest bedroom, and finally how his family put several deadbolt locks on the door to the room.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Some more dancing, and a glass of Butterbeer," Draco said gently moving Harry away from his chest so he could stand up and pull Harry up after him.
"I am quite shocked, I had not stepped on your feet during our dance," Harry said as Draco led them back to the hall.
"Yeah, I sort of figured that was your first time doing a formal dance, but by now the dancing should be more relaxed," Draco said as the pair reentered the Great Hall. Draco once more pulled Harry to the dance floor which as he said was no longer the type of slow dance they had done earlier but people making random movements. Despite all that, Draco led Harry in another slow dance, which thankfully some others were doing as well so it was not that strange.
The pair danced for a couple of songs before they stopped and moved to sit down. Draco then left Harry for a bit to get them both some drinks. Almost as soon as Draco had left Ron came over his face looking thunderous. "Malfoy, really you came with bloody Malfoy," Ron said through gritted teeth.
"Yes I asked and, he said yes," Harry said with a small smile.
"And what is worse you are letting him take the lead. I mean I hate the slimy snake, but I might have been able to accept it if you were the one leading it rather than being the bitch," Ron said making it feel as if the redhead had punched him in the gut. But before Harry could respond a hand appeared over Ron's head holding a drink and dumped it over him.
"Language, Weasley," Draco said revealing he had been the one who had poured his drink onto Ron's head.
"Fuck off, Malfoy," Ron said.
"Why? I have just returned to my date with the drink I got for them," Draco said as he handed Harry the non-spilled drink over. Harry gave a nod of thanks as he took a sip only for Ron to knock it out of his hands.
"Are you serious, how do you know he did not poison it?" Ron asked shaking his head as if Harry had taken leave of his senses.
"You know what Draco, I think the drinks can wait, let's get back to dancing," Harry said standing up and going back to Draco as he used his shoulder to knock Ron aside letting the blonde wrap his hand around his waist again.
For the rest of the night, Harry avoided Ron and barely left Draco's side until the Ball finally ended at two in the morning on Boxing Day. Before Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower he was shocked once more as Draco gave him a kiss goodnight. Harry was so happy with the kiss, even if it had only been a small peck on his cheek that he could not stop smiling as headed back to Gryffindor Tower. Before he reached the top of the main stairs, however, he was stopped by Cedric who gave him a clue on how to figure out the Golden Egg he had taken from his Dragon. Thanking his fellow Hogwarts Champion, Harry made his way back to the tower to find that he was not the only one angry at Ron as he walked in on Hermione yelling at his attitude towards her date as well.
Hearing her tear him a new one, Harry could not help but smirk as he made his way past the pair and headed up to the Fourth Year's bedroom. As he was taking off his dress robes Harry found something in one of his pockets and pulled it out to reveal one of the badges the Slytherins had worn since he had been declared a Champion. But rather the message of "Support Cedric Diggory the True Hogwarts Champion" or "Potter Stinks" the badge now read "Want to go out again?"
Pressing the badge, Harry saw the choices of "Yes" and "No" pop up. Without hesitation, Harry pressed the badge where the "Yes" was as his badge shifted into a badge resembling a yellow smiling face. Harry pulled out the robes he was planning to wear tomorrow and pinned the smiling badge on his right lapel before he climbed into bed to go to sleep. Harry was almost asleep when he realized he still had the broach Draco had attached to his dress robes and decided to give it to the blonde tomorrow.